AMISH ROMANCE: The Amish Bakery Boxed Set: 4-Book Clean Inspirational Box Set - Includes Bonus Book

by Rebekah Fisher

  Naomi was listening to only one side of the conversation, but she was shocked at what she heard. That was a really large order. What would they do?

  Okay, gut.” Kathryn’s eyes got bigger. “And you want to add more cinnamon rolls. Okay, how many? Ten more dozen. Great!” She was shaking her head in surprise at Naomi.

  “You mailed a check? All right, we will keep an eye out for it.”

  “Can you verify the delivery address?” Kathryn wrote down the address. “Of course, Saturday morning it will all be delivered.”

  “Jah, see you soon, Charlotte.”

  Naomi waited until Kathryn hung up the phone. “We have to bake all of that by Saturday morning?”

  “Jah, and package it and deliver it too.”

  Naomi had never seen Kathryn look so serious. “We need to tell Daniel right away.”

  “Jah.” Kathryn walked to the front of the bakery. “Daniel, I need to talk to you in the office.”

  Daniel followed his mother to the office. “What’s wrong?”

  Naomi joined them to see if there was something she could do to help.

  Kathryn quickly explained to him about the large order. “I’m so sorry. We have two days. Roy was horrible about this.”

  Daniel frowned, then shook his head. “Mamm, What are we going to do? We only have one working oven!”

  “Let’s trust Gott, Daniel,” Kathryn replied. “If we have to, we can use part of the money for this order to have someone come out and fix the oven. Or Gott may have another solution.”

  Daniel sighed. “Jah, alright, Mamm.”

  “I’ll go check the supplies and make sure we have enough for the order.” Kathryn looked at Naomi. “Naomi, would you go through all of the mail and see if you see anything from the Eastern Winter Festival or Charlotte Webber? Charlotte said she mailed a check.”

  “Mamm, can we even bake that much in the next two days?”

  Kathryn nodded her head. “If we come up with a plan and have the other oven fixed, we can.”

  Naomi watched as Daniel closed his eyes and then walked out the back door. He closed the door behind him.

  She followed him and peeked out the small window. He was pacing.

  Naomi walked out the door and stood there quietly. He looked over and she wasn’t sure if he even saw her.

  He was muttering to himself, “I cannot believe this is happening. This order is a great thing, but at the worst possible time.” He shook his head. “We have a broken oven and this huge order—this is not the greatest of starts. Dear Gott, please help us find a quick solution. Danke, Gott, for the scripture says that You will make a way where there seems to be no way. I will trust You.”

  Naomi slipped back inside. Gott, please help Daniel find a quick solution.

  Suddenly, Daniel had an idea. He walked back inside and told the others, “I’ll be back soon.”

  * * *

  Chapter 6

  Daniel ran across the town square and burst into the harness maker’s shop.

  “Isaac! We have a broken oven. Can you look at it? Or do you know someone that may be able to fix it?”

  Isaac was known to have a knack at being able to repair various items.

  “I can, but you should really talk to Joshua Yoder first. He can fix anything,” Isaac suggested.

  “Really?” Daniel asked.

  “Jah. Joshua has fixed generators, tractors and a bunch of other stuff.” Isaac came around the counter and looked out one of the front windows. “I think he might be at Martha’s shop today. He said something about helping with some display shelves.”

  “I really hope he can help. We have a huge order that needs to go out. We’re going to have to work around the clock to get it out.

  “I’ll stop by after I’m done here and see if I can help.”

  “Isaac, you are the best.” Daniel shook Isaac’s hand and rushed out the door. He opened the door to the candle shop. “Hello, Daniel. Is everything okay? I saw you running across the square.”

  He nodded. “Hello, Martha. Is Joshua here by chance?”

  Joshua stepped out from behind a shelf. “Daniel, can I help you with something?”

  “I hope so. Would you be able to come to the bakery and look at one of our ovens? It’s not heating up correctly and we have a huge order that has to go out Saturday morning.”

  “Jah, I’ll be over right after I finish here,” Joshua told him.

  “Go ahead now,” Martha said. “We can do this any day.”

  “Danke, Martha!” Daniel called as they left the candle shop.

  Back in the bakery, Daniel helped move the oven away from the wall. Joshua looked at the oven and moved things around and then grabbed a screwdriver. He made some adjustments, then went around to the front.

  After a few moments, Joshua said, “There you go. It was the oven control thermostat.”

  “It’s fixed?” Daniel was sure he’d heard wrong.

  “Jah.” Joshua pointed to the gauge on the oven and Daniel could see that it was already heating up.

  “Just like that?”

  “Jah,” Joshua said with a laugh. “I think someone was cleaning and they accidently changed the adjustment on the thermostat.”

  Joshua helped him move the oven back.

  “Danke, Joshua! What do I owe you?” Daniel asked Joshua. He silently breathed a prayer to God, thanking Him for His quick answer to prayer in this situation.

  “I’ll take payment in cinnamon rolls,” Joshua joked, as they walked to the front of the store.

  Kathryn laughed as she put a dozen cinnamon rolls in a bag and handed it to Joshua.

  “Jah, anytime you want them,” Daniel said. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “I’m so glad it was something I could fix easily. Good luck on the big order.” Joshua opened up the front door and held up the bag. “Danke!”

  An hour later Kathryn had gathered everyone together in the kitchen.

  “I’ve worked everything out. We have enough supplies to make everything for the festival.”

  Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. That was one step in the right direction.

  “I’ve figured out a schedule starting tomorrow morning, but someone is going to need to be here over night tomorrow. We’ll have to bake through the night.”

  “I’ll stay.” Daniel wouldn’t ask anyone to do something that he wouldn’t volunteer for first.

  “I’ll stay too for awhile.” Elizabeth volunteered.

  Naomi raised her hand. “Me too.”

  “I can help too.” Isaac had just come in the front door.

  “That would be so helpful. That way I won’t have to lose someone during the day.”

  “We can get the cinnamon rolls started today and they can rise overnight. In the morning, we can start mixing the bread, and tomorrow night we’ll start baking.”

  * * *

  Naomi was getting instructions from Kathryn when Daniel walked through the door the next evening.

  “Are we all set?” Daniel asked.

  “Jah, your mamm organized everything earlier today. Everything has been mixed and set up. Are you ready for a night of baking?”

  Kathryn and the others had just left when Isaac opened the back door. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Nee, we were just getting organized.” Elizabeth was standing by one of the ovens. “Okay, I’m watching the cinnamon bread and Naomi will be timing the dinner rolls.”

  Naomi pointed at Daniel and Isaac. “You two can help us with moving the trays and racks around.”

  They had a great system going. Once Naomi and Elizabeth made sure the bread was finished baking, they would pull out the hot trays and set them in the rack. Daniel and Isaac would then add a new tray to the oven. In between baking cycles they stood at the station that Kathryn had set up to package everything. As the bread and rolls cooled, they were bagged and set into the large walk-in refrigerator.

  Later in the evening, Daniel and Isaac were sitting at one of the t
ables talking. Naomi was heating up the soup she’d brought for them to eat as a late supper. From where she was standing she could see Daniel as he spoke with Isaac.

  “It’s a wonderful thing that my brother has done here,” Elizabeth said, following Naomi’s gaze.

  Naomi quickly looked back at the soup she was stirring, embarrassed that Elizabeth had caught her staring at Daniel. “Jah. I’m glad.”

  “He felt so miserable before, but now he has a purpose and he’s happy.” Elizabeth set a stack of bowls next to the stove. “But I don’t think it’s just the bakery that’s making him happy.” Elizabeth gave Naomi a knowing smile.

  “What? I…he…” Naomi shook her head. “What do you mean, Elizabeth?.”

  Elizabeth chuckled and laid a hand on Naomi’s arm. “I know my brother, and I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The way he has always looked at you.”

  Naomi was quiet for a moment then gave Elizabeth a small smile. “I think he just thinks of me as a helpful friend. But…I hope you are right. Daniel is kind and responsible. I’d be a very lucky girl.”

  Elizabeth just smiled and helped Naomi ladle the soup bowls.

  “Anyone hungry?” Naomi asked, carrying the tray of bowls.

  Daniel jumped up to help her with the tray.

  “What kind of soup is this?” Daniel asked. “It smells delicious.”

  “It’s beef and dumpling soup,” Naomi answered.

  “Are there mashed potatoes in here too?” Isaac asked her, as he stirred the soup.

  “Jah. We put mashed potatoes in the bowls and then ladled the soup over it.”

  Elizabeth came out with a basket of fresh rolls and sat down. She looked over at Isaac. “So how are we doing?”

  “It looks like we’re going to get everything done in time,” Isaac told her, as he checked off another task on the list that Kathryn had left for them.

  “Jah, I hope the last of the batches have time to cool before we need to deliver them.” Daniel was looking at the clock trying to figure it all out.

  “Once the ovens are off we can open the back door. It will cool down the whole place very quickly, ” Isaac said.

  “Isaac Weaver, you’ll freeze us all out!” Elizabeth told him and they all laughed.

  Naomi was still laughing when she noticed Daniel looking at her from across the table. Her breath caught as he held her gaze, and in that moment she thought that perhaps Elizabeth might be right.

  * * *

  Danke, Gott, that we were able to complete this entire order in time. Daniel had been up for hours, but he felt great. Elizabeth had suggested that Naomi come with him to make the delivery and he’d been smiling the entire time. He was so thankful for this opportunity. In just a few weeks, his life had turned around. Before, his days were spent loading and unloading hay by himself and he’d been miserable. Now, he spent his days with friends and he worked hard to improve the bakery. One decision had changed his future for the better and he couldn’t wait to see what was ahead of him. He looked over at Naomi and smiled.

  She smiled widely back at him. “I knew you could do it.”

  After a moment, Daniel turned to look at her. “Can I tell you something?”

  “Jah, of course,” she said, her smile fading a bit.

  “I want you to know that your confidence and belief in me are so important. You make me feel like I could do anything.”

  She looked away shyly. “It’s true though.”

  Daniel tried to stop himself but the words spilled from his mouth, “I have always wanted to court you.”

  “You have?” Naomi asked, surprised.“I guess now would be a good time to tell you just how much I’ve admired you lately.”

  “You have?”

  “Jah. You have such a tender, caring heart, but yet you are strong in character and you have a deep love for Gott.”

  “Thank you for your kind words, Naomi.” He stared at the road ahead of them. “I uh…actually have wanted to court you since I was sixteen.”

  “I had no idea, Daniel.”

  “I wanted to ask you at that time, but I knew your mamm was ill and that you needed to spend time with her. I understood that. I’d want to spend that time with my own mamm.”

  “That is so kind and caring.” Naomi prayed to God silently if Daniel could possibly be a part of His plan for her life. Oh, how she hoped so.

  He continued, “then Paul Zook was there.” Daniel paused, remembering how he’d felt when he found out about him. “I felt so heartbroken.”

  She looked away, not knowing what to say next.

  Daniel continued, “then he was gone, and not long after, your mamm passed. I wanted to give you time to mourn, and since then we’ve both kept to ourselves. When I heard Paul was back in town, I was sure that you would be courting again.”

  “Nee.” Naomi spoke so quietly he could barely hear her. “That was an awful time in my life.”

  “Honestly, I’m not trying to pry. I just wanted to let you know how I felt.”

  “Jah, I know. Paul and I grew up together. His father’s farm is backed up to ours.”

  “Jah, I remember.” Daniel nodded.

  “Paul and I were close, but I didn’t really think we would be a match. As Mamm’s illness progressed, he and I grew closer…and although we didn’t talk about it, it felt like we were courting.” Naomi said. “We weren’t though.”

  “Ach, I thought you were.”

  “Nee, at one point, Mamm had taken another turn for the worse. I was home with her all of the time. One day, Paul came over and he sat me down to talk. He told me he wouldn’t be coming by anymore because he was courting Almina Glick.”

  “So that was it? He just left? He really didn’t come over anymore?”

  “Nee. I haven’t even seen him since he came back at Christmas. I saw him once since, and that was at Katura Weaver’s wedding to David Raber last year.”

  At hearing Katura’s name, Daniel grimaced.

  Naomi gave him a questioning look.

  “Right before Katura and David began courting, my mamm told me I should start thinking about my future and settle down. I thought you were courting Paul so I started talking to Katura.”

  “Really?” Naomi asked with a laugh.

  “Jah, it was awful. I kept thinking about you. I was awkward and nervous.”

  Naomi laughed. “Ach, poor Katura.”

  “Jah.” He remembered how painfully awkward it was. “My heart wasn’t in it, but she was so nice to me.”

  “Katura is a dear, sweet person.”

  “She is that for sure. I’m happy for her and David.” Daniel slowed the horse to make the turn back to town.

  They continued down the road a little while in silence. Daniel was thankful to find out that Naomi wasn’t courting anyone. He silently prayed, Gott, is Naomi the one You have for me? He worked up the nerve to ask her the question on his heart. “Well, Naomi, now that we have everything straightened out about that…would you…be interested in courting me?”

  Naomi hesitated a moment to say another prayer, thanking God. This was the moment she’d been waiting for. She had strong feelings for Daniel, and was sure she was starting to fall in love with him. Dear Gott, danke, danke for answering my prayers. I believe this is Your plan for my life.

  Daniel took a deep breath and then looked at her trying not to panic. It took her a few moments to answer, and he sure hoped she wouldn’t turn him down. Right then he realized that this was more important to him than his bakery venture.

  Naomi smiled with a tear running down her cheek. “Jah, of course, Daniel.”

  THE END

  Book 2

  (Previously Unpublished Bonus Book: Marianna’s Hope)

  Chapter 1

  “Good morning, Marianna. I wasn’t expecting you until the end of the week,” Diane said from behind the counter of the gift shop.

  Marianna Graber smiled. “My daed needed to bring the buggy into the repair shop. I asked if I could come to town
with him.”

  “It can be fun to mix up the schedule a little bit. How is your art work going?”

  “I brought a few pieces with me.” Marianna set her bag on the counter.

  “That’s great. I was hoping you did.” Diane crossed the store and pointed to a bare spot on the wall above some display shelves. “I set up this spot on the wall to display one of your pieces. ”

  “Danke. That’s so nice of you. I hope I can finish a few more this next week. I already have the designs sketched out on the wood.” Marianna really enjoyed the designs that she painted, especially the ones for above the hearth. They seemed to be quite popular in the gift shop.

  Diane came back to the counter to clear a stack of papers from the top. “I was working on a list of new display labels for you to letter.”

  “Great. I can take the list and bring them back at the end of the week.” Marianna pulled some wooden circles from her bag. She had wrapped them in fabric to keep them from getting scratched.

  “Beautiful, as usual.” Diane told her looking at the paintings. Marianna unwrapped the next one.

  “This one is my newest design.”

  “Marianna, it’s wonderful. I’m going to put this one in the center of the wall.”

  “Danke.” Marianna smiled. She was still surprised that the results of her hobby was something other people enjoyed. She held up the new design; two finches facing each other, their tails forming a heart shape. There was a heart in the center top and a tulip on each side .

  “It’s lovely. I can tell you right now that this will sell really well. Please add this to your regular set of designs.”

  “I’m so glad that you like it. My mamm used to talk about a plaque her grohs-mammi kept over the hearth in their home growing up. I drew it and then painted it from how my mamm described it when I was little.”

  “Oh, Marianna, your mother would have been so happy to see this again.”

  “I hope so,” Marianna told her. She really didn’t want to talk about her mother. She had been gone over a year now, but it was still difficult. “Do you have the list for the display labels?”